Be Quiet!
by anonyreaderfan
Summary: Elena gasped when she saw the blood on Stefan's mouth.  This is the conversation "I" heard later on between Damon and Elena.  NOT a Delena.


Disclaimer: The Vampires Diaries is the property of the CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

~ X ~

Elena walked into her bedroom, stripping off her sweatshirt, as she entered. She wasn't totally surprised to see Damon sitting on the side of her bed. She was actually somewhat pleased that he wasn't lying on it, hands clasped behind his head, as he had done to her a couple of times.

She eyed him harshly, as she folded her sweatshirt on a nearby chair. She walked up to him, hands on her hips, ready to scold him for allowing Stefan to attack a human.

He remained seated, face solemn, no teasing smile on his lips, no eyebrow quirking, no witticisms pouring out of his lips. His silence somewhat disconcerted her, but she was still ready to rip him a new one.

She opened her mouth, but closed it quickly when she heard him speak first.

"Be quiet."

She was outraged and opened her mouth, only to be stopped again by his forceful words.

"Not a word out of your mouth. You are going to listen to me for once." He held up a warning finger. "Without interrupting." He pointed to the chair that held Elena's carefully folded sweatshirt. "Sit."

The stubborn look on her face made him elaborate. "If you do not sit on your own, I will pick you up and place you on the chair."

She drew in a deep breath, thought about it, and then caved in and sat on the chair, knowing she was no match strength wise for the vampire. That had been amply proven in several futile struggles. She sat as dignified as possible, crossing her arms, ready to do verbal battle.

Damon eyed her for a moment, allowing the silence to stretch, and when he finally spoke there was no softness in his voice.

"It is not up to you to judge what I do with Stefan." He held up that warning finger again when Elena's lips parted. "Do not push me, Elena. You need to hear what I have to say."

His blue eyes cold, he continued. "Stefan is at his most fundamental level a vampire. You are a human. He is different from you and can't be judged by your standards. You act like he is an alcoholic that's fallen off the wagon. He's not. Alcohol is a luxury to a human. Blood is life itself to a vampire. There is no comparison between the two." He stared at her almost daring her to object. She pressed her lips together into a thin line, obviously not buying what he was saying.

"A vampire lives on blood, but not just any blood, human blood. Got it? Not animal blood, human blood. I've probably led to your misconceptions with my jokes about Bambi and Thumper and Peter Cottontail, but it's not a joke. Animal blood doesn't cut it for a vampire. He loses his essence, his strength, his ability to compel. He's like a dog without teeth, all bark, no bite. It is not a healthy way for him to live either physically or mentally."

Elena couldn't help herself. "Lexi thought it was okay."

"Lexi was wrong," Damon flatly stated.

"Are you saying Lexi didn't care about Stefan? She loved him." And because she was angry, she unfairly added, "Maybe more than you do."

"That's a fair statement for you to make considering what you've seen between us." Damon felt no inclination to get angry or lose his temper. This was too important to him. "Yes, Lexi loved him, and he was like a younger brother to her, but she was still wrong. He can't keep living as a ripper or a veggie, for want of a better word. He needs to be a vampire, and a vampire drinks human blood."

Damon held her eyes with his. "Understand this, Elena. I should have intervened a long time ago. I didn't, but that's water under the bridge now. He is going to learn how to drink from humans, and he's going to learn how to stop before he kills, and I am going to teach him."

He spoke the next sentences with the force of a hammer hitting a nail.

"I will not give up.

"I will not let him fail.

"He will learn moderation."

Elena unfolded her arms, thinking about what Damon had said. She spoke quietly. "What can I do to help?"

"Butt out." Damon response was swift and curt. "Keep your judgey looks to yourself and stay away from him."

She frowned. "Is this one of your tricks to —"

He interrupted again. "Don't try emotional blackmail or guilt with me. I love you, and you know it, but this is between my brother and me. You cannot help a vampire be a vampire. When he can handle himself then maybe he can handle you."

He stood up, keeping his distance from her. "This is probably not the best time for either of us to be around you, especially since I have a big job ahead of me. When it's done I'll be back, and I'll try to convince you I'm the right one for you, but right now you are a distraction." He walked over to the window. "Good night, Elena."

A whoosh and Elena was left with an empty room and a full mind.

~Fin~


End file.
